Les Sybelles: The Largest French Ski Space You Have In all probability By no means Heard Of

twenty sixth March 2025 | James Cove, Les Sybelles, France.

Final modified on March twenty ninth, 2025

It claims to be the fourth largest ski space in France. But it’s just about undiscovered by the British. Why? PlanetSKI stories. UPDATED

Replace Friday twenty eighth March.

Now earlier than we get to the complete story of Les Sybelles, we now have an replace to supply on an apres ski tour.

Meet Lemon.

He’s a ten yr previous Malamute de l’Alaska, born and bred within the Maurienne Valley.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

Lemon is my companion for one of many stranger actions I’ve performed within the mountains: cani-rando.

It interprets actually as canine climbing.

And that’s precisely what it’s.

You go climbing hooked up to a canine.

Les Sybelles, France. Image © PlanetSKI.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

It combines climbing with the help of a skilled sled canine.

You put on a particular harness/belt that’s related to the canine by a bungee leash, permitting the canine to assist pull and information you alongside the paths.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

Now Lemon is a canine that may be charitably referred to as ‘boisterous’.

It was an pleasurable wrestle to start with however as soon as he had used up a few of his power issues turned extra manageable – particularly on the snowy and slippery trails.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

If you happen to like canines, then it is a stroll you’ll take pleasure in.

Merci beaucoup Lemon.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

And now the complete article on Les Sybelles:

Wednesday twenty sixth March

The realm sits within the Maurienne Valley within the Savoie close to the most important linked ski space in France and the world – Les3Vallees.

In France the second largest space is Les Portes du Soleil after which Paradiski with its mega resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs.

Fairly surprisingly subsequent up are the six little-known and linked ski resorts that make up Les Sybelles ski space.

St Jean d’Arves (alt. 1,550m)St Sorlin d’Arves (alt. 1,550m)Le Corbier (alt. 1,550m)La Toussuire (alt. 1,800m)Les Bottieres (alt. 1,300m)St Colomban des Villards (alt. 1,100m)

So, have you ever heard of any of them?

No, neither have we – till now.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

Les Sybelles has 68 ski lifts with 136 pistes that cowl 310kms of slopes.

The mixed ski space of Val d’Isere and Tignes, that many Brits ski in, has 300kms.

I’m in Sybelles this week for a spot of spring snowboarding and to find an space I’ve heard of, however by no means visited.

To be sincere it didn’t look nice on arrival at 1,550m within the ski village of St Sorlin d’Arves, with the early afternoon temperature at 21c.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

Time for a spot of lunch within the solar.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

However on the prime of the ski space at 2,600m the snow situations had been a really completely different story.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

A lot of the space stays open regardless of the current heat March temperatures, with the world scheduled to shut on April eleventh.

The snowboarding space stunned me in its measurement and, most significantly, its selection.

How come I had barely heard of those slopes and by no means skied on them earlier than?

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

And take a look at these movies:

It’s an space appropriate for teams of combined capability – lots of the runs had pistes of assorted ranges of problem that then meet up.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

The realm has 40,000 vacationer beds, however why accomplish that few Brits at present sleep in them?

Les Sybelles was shaped in 2003 because the six resorts had been introduced collectively as a single space.

‘The British merely don’t know a lot about us,” mentioned Aurelien Durbet who has been a ski teacher with the ESF for 16-years – shortly after the world was shaped.

“Lots of the others giant French ski areas have been round for over 50-years so they’re well-known with British skiers.

“We have now to market ourselves higher and promote our sights.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

The advertising division of the vacationer workplace is now on the case.

“As you’ve seen James the snowboarding is a revelation for those who have not likely heard of us and we at the moment are embarking on a marketing campaign to develop our providing to the British and stand out from the opposite giant French ski areas,” mentioned Marie Lourdel from Les Sybelles to me.

“Just a few years again solely 20% of our visitors had been foreigners, however now that’s 46% with essentially the most coming from Belgium after which the Netherlands.”

The British at the moment are third so phrase is getting on the market.

The villages are primarily purpose-built affairs within the typical French excessive altitude model – not terribly enticing, however they do the job.

Right here’s La Corbier.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

The best and largest of the villages is La Toussuire (1,800m) and has seen a current enlargement with 11,000 beds now on supply.

Extra residences are set to open for subsequent season, together with La Grande Verdette, the place development is advancing.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

The village of St Sorlin d’Arves has 9,000 beds and is an altogether prettier affair.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

I’m staying in Le Chalet Beausoleil by the aspect of the piste in St Sorlin d’Arves.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

With an Intersport ski rent store only a two minute stroll away.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

It is available in at an affordable worth too and nothing like the costs that may be paid in Les3Vallees and the like.

I used to be knowledgeable by the native vacationer workplace that costs might be round 30% cheaper than the opposite giant French ski areas.

The resorts of Les Sybelles are geared toward households & intermediates, and people keeping track of their finances.

Mountain eating places within the space might be the massive resort affairs, or one thing extra conventional.

Step ahead, this gem above Le Corbier.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

From the place I posted the PlanetSKI video report on present snow situations:

Speaking of meals, the Hors-Piste restaurant in St Sorlion d’Anvers serves a imply Japanese beef dish and it introduced again just a few fond recollections of my current 5-week journey to Japan with PlanetSKI.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

This time it was good to have a fork to accompany the chopsticks.

Les Sybelles has only a few mountain eating places, maybe not proper for an space so giant.

Round half a dozen that you may truly name up on the slopes themselves.

Like London buses, when there’s one then one other comes alongside on the similar time.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

On the best way right down to St Sorlin d’Arves at one excessive finish of the ski space there are a pair dealing with one another – Le Tetras and Le Saint S’O.

I puzzled why one in all them couldn’t have been established elsewhere.

Le Saint S’O has leisure readily available and it was packed.

Les Sybelles, France. Picture © PlanetSKI.

And if you’re now questioning what occurs when the decision of nature comes out on the areas 310kms of slopes with few eating places round then worry not.

There have to be a few dozen of those at strategic areas across the Sybelles ski space.

And inside?

We’ve seen worse.

All in all of the Sybelles space has an altogether much less frantic and full-on environment than the more-famous French mega resorts.

There isn’t any Folie Douce right here, and no plans for one.

Apres ski and nightlife are restricted with individuals coming to calm down quite than celebration.

There are just a few winter occasions operating via the season.

They’re extra designed to entertain the individuals already right here, quite than carry within the big crowds that may come for World Cup occasions, freeride snowsport competitions, big finish of season live shows or giant pupil teams out on the lash.

Les Sybelles is altogether extra sedate.

One exercise that comes excessive really useful is a ‘First Tracks’ programme the place you may go up on the slopes an hour earlier than they open to most of the people with one of many pisteurs.

You get to the ski the slopes earlier than everybody else, although it was a bit murky on our morning.

Plus have an interesting behind-the-scenes have a look at their work.

Xavier Gaboriaud has been with the patrol for 11 years and defined how the world is made secure from avalanches after a snowfall, and confirmed us the security tools within the pisteurs hut.

The pisteurs take care of a median about 10 incidents a day the place individuals require first support on the slopes and the utmost quantity they’ve needed to assist in a day is nineteen.

“Security is our primary precedence and we would like all our visitors to have their greatest day’s snowboarding and to complete their day smiling and comfortable, not being taken off the slopes injured,” mentioned Xavier.

“I urge everybody to ski in management and respect different individuals on the mountain.”

The First Tracks programme runs thought the excessive season dates and prices €15 per individual.

My favouite space, and not using a shadow of doubt, had been the slopes round Les 3 Lacs and from the excessive level at 2, 600m on the left of the ski space when wanting on the piste map.

I’ve my eye on a spot of ski touring on the glacier space subsequent winter with an in a single day in a mountain hut.

And have I discussed the 360 views?

Les Sybelles is ready to be found by us Brits – on and off the slopes.

I’ll 100% be again and plans to remain once more at St Sorlin d’Arves.

See right here for extra on Les Sybelles.

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